Windows 10 S comes to an undignified end

Microsoft’s reputation as an ‘irregular’ producer of quality software continues. Windows 7 remains the world’s most popular operating system and cloud platform Azure has plenty of adherents, the same can’t be said of Windows 10 S.

Windows 10 S was Microsoft’s attempt to grab market share back from Google and its low-spec Chrome OS-powered Chromebooks. It failed.

On the official Windows 10 S website, you can find Microsoft still telling you how 10 S has more security, great performance, but a Windows operating system that couldn’t run your 32- or 64-bit Windows software isn’t really windows. What you do get is something that looks like Windows only with a closed ecosystem populated by second-rate Universal Windows Platform (UWP) applications.

Someone, somewhere out there, must use Windows 10 S. After all, it came as the default operating system on the Microsoft Surface Laptop. Interesting thing, though: A Google search for ‘Windows 10 S Surface Laptop,’ reveals stories on how to upgrade those machines to a real version of Windows 10.

As Microsoft discovered with Windows RT, users who want their user experience to be based on tried-and-trusted user interfaces and applications. ‘The same only less’ doesn’t wash.

But don’t let the 10 S fiasco poison your mind about the product it was trying to play catch-up with. Anyone who does want an operating system that’s lightweight, fast, secure and useful should buy a Chromebook. Google Chrome OS gives many users all the operating system they’ll ever need, with none of the confusion that came with Windows 10 S.